2014 was another excellent year for Scouting in Scotland. We celebrated our eighth consecutive year of growth with a membership of 44,373. Since 2007 Scottish Scouting has recruited almost 10,000 new members.
For me, there were many highlights in the past year, but I want to mention just three. In April, I was extremely proud to see over 50 Scottish Queen’s Scouts parading round the quadrangle at Windsor Castle at our annual Parade and National Service of Thanksgiving. Resplendent in their kilts and with two Scottish Queen’s Scouts in the colour party it certainly made me proud to be a Scout, and a Scottish Scout at that. While the Queen’s Scouts Award is the highest youth award in Scouting, the journey to that award starts in our younger Sections. I always get great pleasure in seeing the smiles on the faces of our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts when I get the opportunity to celebrate their achievement at local and Regional awards evenings.
Blair Atholl was a resounding success again in 2014. The 34th International Patrol Jamborette was the biggest ever, with 460 Scottish Scouts hosting 400 overseas Scouts, experiencing a programme run by 360 Scottish and 110 overseas leaders. 17 countries were represented at this year’s camp. I had the pleasure of accompanying Lord David Airlie, former Honorary President of Scottish Scouting and UKHQ Treasurer around the site on Visitor’s Day. He enjoyed his visit so much that he could barely force himself to leave. He was so impressed by what he saw and left the camp in the clear impression that Scottish Scouting was in great shape. Andrew Sharkey, the Camp Chief, and his team deserve a great vote of thanks for a job well done.
No-one could have failed to enjoy the party atmosphere that existed in Glasgow during the Commonwealth games this summer. The Clydesider volunteers were hailed as a significant reason for the success of this prestigious event. They were definitely ‘pure dead brilliant’! I was able to attend several venues during the Games and was delighted to recognise so many Scouters in the ranks of the Clydesiders. We need to try to capture the obvious appetite that people in Scotland have for volunteering and help to recruit the adults that we need to keep growing, so that we can offer better Scouting to more young people.
But not content with our current successes we have set ourselves some challenging targets and aspirations for the years ahead. We want to continue:
- to grow;
- to improve the training and support offered to our adult volunteers and staff;
- to work more obviously in partnership with our local and wider communities and in so doing make our organisation better reflect the make-up of the communities in which we operate;
- to improve the quality of the programme we deliver to our youth members and
- to truly make Scouting in Scotland shaped by young people in partnership with adults.
To help achieve some of these challenging objectives, a number of important initiatives will be launched in the year ahead.
In January, we are holding a critically important workshop for District Commissioners. During a full weekend programme we will discuss a wide range of topics which DCs find challenging. DCs are key to Scouting’s success in Scotland and we want to invest more time to support them.
In the first quarter of 2015, the promised changes to the youth programme for the 6-18 year old sections will be rolled out across Scotland in a series of local workshops entitled ‘Energize’. Make sure that you sign up to your local workshop to hear about some of the exciting updates that will be rolled out for all Sections in 2015.
I hope that many of you have started to get your teeth into Compass, the new membership system launched at the end of 2014. While the initial few months following its launch have been challenging, teething problems have largely been ironed out and many leaders can now see the potential for the system to make their lives easier. All youth data should be uploaded into the system before the end of January.
In April, a new structure and programme for the Scout Network will be launched. A clearer structure and programme template have been devised which should offer this Section the opportunity to firmly embed itself in local Scouting while allowing for national membership at different levels. Watch this space!
2015 has been designated as a Year of Adventure for the Cub Scout Section. This will lead into the Section’s centenary in 2016. What are you planning to do to allow your Cubs to get more involved in adventurous activities?
In the spring, UKHQ will announce the names of five new community partners. These large and well known charities have been working with Scouting to develop programme ideas and offer opportunities for community impact projects in the year ahead, whether as part of Scout Community Week or at another time in the year. There will be something to suit every Section wherever you Scout.
In the summer, more than 250 Explorer Scouts and leaders from Scotland will head for Japan to attend the World Scout Jamboree. They have been planning for the past year or more and I have no doubt that they will all have the experiences of a lifetime.
Please accept my sincere thanks and respect for all you do in Scouting. You are an inspiration to the young people that you lead. I hope you launch yourselves into 2015 with energy and enthusiasm. You have lots to look forward to.
Graham Haddock
Chief Commissioner of Scotland